There was once a time when UFC had their best fighters battle for supremacy. Those days are long gone with the UFC's new direction. George St. Pierre's return fight shows how UFC favors sales over ranking.
It was recently announced that Georges St. Pierre will be facing Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Title. A Georges St. Pierre match will always be entertaining but it is not the match that UFC needs to make. Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza have waited for years for their chance at a shot for the title only for them to be overtaken by less deserving but more popular fighters.
UFC fights that feature the more popular or controversial fighter doesn't necessarily mean it's the best fight to make. In the case of Georges St. Pierre, a fight between Bisping will certainly bring fans to watch. But on the other hand, it completely ignores the essence of competition.
UFC fighters compete to determine who is the best in the world. Georges St. Pierre is one of the all time greats but that doesn't make him one of the best middleweight fighter. And that does not earn him a shot at the title.
It's not the first time UFC favored the more popular fighter over the more deserving ones. Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen and the Diaz brothers have all leapfrogged over more worthy contenders. Then again fighter's like George's St. Pierre aren't the ones to blame for this.
UFC's preference of marketable fighters may bring in more money but it will hurt the brand's integrity in the long run. If this continues, UFC will eventually turn into a popularity contest where champions aren't really the best but rather the most popular. Georges St. Pierre used to fight used the best, but he now can choose his fights.
It won't be long before UFC turns into the WWE or Boxing where ranking and title have little value. Georges St. Pierre may become a two-division champ but it will be because of his fame a not because of his fighting ability.
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